(Above image of the Gospel of Thomas courtesy of the
Institute for Antiquity and Christianity, Claremont Graduate University)

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The Nag Hammadi Library

The Apocalypse of Paul

Translated by George W. MacRae and William R. Murdock

[...] the road. And he spoke to him, saying, "By which road shall I go up to
Jerusalem?" The little child replied, saying, "Say your name, so that I may show
you the road". The little child knew who Paul was. He wished to make conversation
with him through his words in order that he might find an excuse for speaking with him.

The little child spoke, saying, "I know who you are, Paul. You are he who was
blessed from his mother`s womb. For I have come to you that you may go up to Jerusalem to
your fellow apostles. And for this reason you were called. And I am the Spirit who
accompanies you. Let your mind awaken, Paul, with [...]. For [...] whole which [...] among
the principalities and these authorities and archangels and powers and the whole race of
demons, [...] the one that reveals bodies to a soul-seed."

And after he brought that speech to an end, he spoke, saying to me, "Let your mind
awaken, Paul, and see that this mountain upon which you are standing is the mountain of
Jericho, so that you may know the hidden things in those that are visible. Now it is to
the twelve apostles that you shall go, for they are elect spirits, and they will greet
you." He raised his eyes and saw them greeting him.

Then the Holy Spirit who was speaking with him caught him up on high to the third
heaven, and he passed beyond to the fourth heaven. The Holy Spirit spoke to him, saying,
"Look and see your likeness upon the earth." And he looked down and saw those
who were upon the earth. He stared and saw those who were upon the [...]. Then he gazed
down and saw the twelve apostles at his right and at his left in the creation; and the
Spirit was going before them.

But I saw in the fourth heaven according to class - I saw the angels resembling gods,
the angels bringing a soul out of the land of the dead. They placed it at the gate of the
fourth heaven. And the angels were whipping it. The soul spoke, saying, "What sin was
it that I committed in the world?" The toll-collector who dwells in the fourth heaven
replied, saying, "It was not right to commit all those lawless deeds that are in the
world of the dead". The soul replied, saying, "Bring witnesses! Let them show
you in what body I committed lawless deeds. Do you wish to bring a book to read
from?"

And the three witnesses came. The first spoke, saying, "Was I not in the body the
second hour [...]? I rose up against you until you fell into anger and rage and
envy." And the second spoke, saying, "Was I not in the world? And I entered at
the fifth hour, and I saw you and desired you. And behold, then, now I charge you with the
murders you committed." The third spoke, saying, "Did I not come to you at the
twelfth hour of the day when the sun was about to set? I gave you darkness until you
should accomplish your sins." When the soul heard these things, it gazed downward in
sorrow. And then it gazed upward. It was cast down. The soul that had been cast down went
to a body which had been prepared for it. And behold, its witnesses were finished.

Then I gazed upward and saw the Spirit saying to me, "Paul, come! Proceed toward
me!". Then as I went, the gate opened, and I went up to the fifth heaven. And I saw
my fellow apostles going with me while the Spirit accompanied us. And I saw a great angel
in the fifth heaven holding an iron rod in his hand. There were three other angels with
him, and I stared into their faces. But they were rivalling each other, with whips in
their hands, goading the souls on to the judgment. But I went with the Spirit and the gate
opened for me.

Then we went up to the sixth heaven. And I saw my fellow apostles going with me, and
the Holy Spirit was leading me before them. And I gazed up on high and saw a great light
shining down on the sixth heaven. I spoke, saying to the toll-collector who was in the
sixth heaven, "Open to me and the Holy Spirit who is before me." He opened to
me.

Then we went up to the seventh heaven, and I saw an old man [...] light and whose
garment was white. His throne, which is in the seventh heaven, was brighter than the sun
by seven times. The old man spoke, saying to me, "Where are you going, Paul? O
blessed one and the one who was set apart from his mother`s womb." But I looked at
the Spirit, and he was nodding his head, saying to me, "Speak with him!". And I
replied, saying to the old man, "I am going to the place from which I came." And
the old man responded to me, "Where are you from?" But I replied, saying,
"I am going down to the world of the dead in order to lead captive the captivity that
was led captive in the captivity of Babylon." The old man replied to me saying,
"How will you be able to get away from me? Look and see the principalities and
authorities." The Spirit spoke, saying, "Give him the sign that you have, and he
will open for you." And then I gave him the sign. He turned his face downwards to his
creation and to those who are his own authorities.

And then the <seventh> heaven opened and we went up to the Ogdoad. And I saw the
twelve apostles. They greeted me, and we went up to the ninth heaven. I greeted all those
who were in the ninth heaven, and we went up to the tenth heaven. And I greeted my fellow
spirits.